Football is not just a sport in northeast India. It's an obsession.
However, in school, Ashalata Devi had never seen a girl's football match being hosted on the annual sports day. The boy's team would play and their role was limited to being mere spectators. It seemed odd to her, but who would bell the cat?
After much thought and mustering all her courage, she walked up to the physical education teacher and feverishly asked if a girl's match could be organised.
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"He agreed. He then asked us to make two teams of 11 so that a match could be organised.